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iPhone app monopoly antitrust suit dismissed

A lawsuit alleging that Apple maintains a monopoly over iPhone apps was dismissed, Bloomberg reports. A judge ruled the plaintiffs couldn’t legally continue the lawsuit, because plaintiffs hadn’t bought the apps — though the complaint can be amended and refiled. “At a minimum, plaintiffs must allege facts showing that each named plaintiff has personally suffered an injury-in-fact based on Apple’s alleged conduct,” U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers wrote. The consumers filed the suit in 2011, arguing that because iPhone apps are only available within Apple’s App Store, Apple holds a monopoly. A lawyer for the plaintiffs said the case can easily be refiled to meet the requirements. Apple asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed in March.